Felting hat-bodies



'(No Model.)

J. T. WARING.

Felting Hat-Bodies, &c.

No. 228,704. Patented Ju ne 8, I880.

Mm momumocmmaa, WASHINGTON. n C

UNITED STATES JOHN T.

\VARING, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FELTING HAT-BODIES, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,704, dated-June 8, 1880.

Application filed April 30, 1880. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, JOHN T. WARING, of the city of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Felting Hat-Bodies and other articles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to that description of sizing machine for felting hat bodies and other articles the principal elements of which are a series of rollers having parallel axes, and between and lengthwise of which a roll of bat bodies or other articles in a sizing-cloth is placed and subjected to arolling and pressing operation. Such machines are commonly provided with either three or four rollers, but might have a greater number.

In such machines as heretofore constructed all the rollers rotate with uniform surface velocity; but one feature of this invention consists in so constructing, gearing, and driving the said rollers that they rotate at different surface velocities, and thereby have a tendency to repeatedly loosen and tighten the sizingcloth and the roll contained therein, instead of gradually rolling them up tighter and tighter, as is done when the rollers have a uniform surface velocity. The effect of this alternate loosening and tightening of the cloth and the roll is to keep the roll soft, and so produce a better workingof the felt than is possible when it is gradually rolled up tighter and tighter,

and so compacted into a hard dead mass, in

which condition the working and felting ceases.

The different surface velocities of the several rollers may be obtained, when the rollers are all of uniform diameter, by so driving them that some make a greater number of revolutions than others. The several rollers may, however, be so driven that all make the same number of revolutions, and may have the different surface velocities produced by making them of different diameters. The rollers may be smooth cylinders, or may have their surfaces ribbed, lagged, or corrugated, or otherwise provided with projections or protuberances, and the difierence of surface velocity may be obtained by making the bodies of the several rollers of uniform size, but making the ribs, lags, or protuberances more prominenton some than on the others.

A second feature of the invention consists in the construction of the rollers of this de scription of machine with their longitudinal profile of such concave, curved, or taper form that there is formed between the said rollers, for the reception of the roll of hat-bodies or other articles, a cavity or pocket which is larger at the middle of the length of the said rollers, and tapers toward the ends thereof, by which means I prevent the extension in a longitudinal direction of the roll of hat-bodies or other articles placed between the said rollers, and thereby obtain a more rapid shrinking or sizing.

Figure l is a transverse section of a sizingmachine, illustrating the first-mentioned part of my invention. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are transverse sections of different sets of rollers adapted to such a machine, illustrating modifications of my invention. Fig. 5 is a horizontal view of two rollers adapted to such a machine, and illustrating the second feature of my invention. Fig. 6 is a similar view of two rollers, exhibiting a modification of this part of the invention. Fig. 7 is a similar view, exhibiting another modification of the same. Figs. 8 and 9 are longitudinal views of other rollers, exhibiting further modifications of the same. Fig. 10 represents four rollers, illustrating a still further modification.

B, Fig. 1, is the fixed main framing of the machine, having fixed bearings for the journals of the two rollers A and A which are so geared together by gears a a and an intermediate gear, a that the said rollers rotate in the same direction.

0 is a frame hinged at c to the main frame B, and having upon it bearings for a third roller, A which is so driven by a belt, I), running from a pulley, 1;, on the shaft of the roller A, and over guide-pulleys d d, to a pulley, 12 on its own shaft, that it rotates in the same direction as A and A The frame 0 is so connected by a rod, 0, with a treadle, D, that the said frame and its roller may be raised by the pressure of the foot of the attendant roll, E, of hat-bodies or other articles between IOO the rollers A A A and removing it therefrom.

The said frame may be weighted or loaded in any suitable manner to produce a necessary pressure on the roller A and upon the roll E.

This machine has all its rollers cylindrical and of equal diameter, and only differs from sizin g-machines heretofore in use and well known in that its several rollers, instead of being geared together by gears or pulleys of uniform size, and thereby being made to rotate with uniform surface velocities, are geared by gears and pulleys ofunequal size, and thereby caused to make unequal numbers of revolutions, and so to have unequal surface velocities, the gear a being represented as so much larger than a and the pulley 1) so much larger than the pulley 19 that the surface velocity of A is greater than that of A, and that of A is greater than that of A These rollers, instead of having smooth peripheries,may have their peripheries furnished or constructed with lags or other projections or protuberances.

The set of rollers shown in Fig. 2 are also all of uniform size, as in other known machines provided with four rollers, the two lower ones being mounted in a fixed frame and the upper ones in a frame which is capable of an upward and downward motion. These rollers are intended to be geared together by gears or pulleys of such different sizes that they rotate with unequal surface velocities. They may be so geared that A and A rotate at uniform velocities, and that A and A rotate at uniform velocities, but at greater velocities than A and A or their relative difference of velocity may be otherwise varied by suitable gearing.

The set of three rollers A, A and A which maybe mounted in frames B and 0, like those shown in Fig. 1, and similarly lettered, are intended to be so geared that all make the same number of revolutions, and their unequal surface velocities are produced by. making the rollers themselves of differei'it diameters, A being shown larger than A and A larger than A The set of three rollers A, A and A (shown in Fig. 4.) are also intended to be mounted in frames 13 and (J, in the same manner as those shown in Fig. 1, and similarly lettered, and are intended all to make the same number of revolutions. They are constructed with ribs,lags, or protuberances, which may be of any desired form. Their bodies are all shown of the same size, but an unequal surface velocity is produced by making the ribs, lags, or protuberances of different size, projection, or prominence, those on A being represented as larger or more prominent than 9 on A, and those 9 on A being larger or more prominent than g The hat-bodies or other articles to be treated between the rollers with unequal velocities may be rolled up into a roll, E, in the usual Way, in a sizing-cloth, and placed between the rollers, as shown in Figs. 1,2, 3, 4, the direction of the roll of the cloth being such relatively to the direction of revolution of the rollers that in the rotary motion given to the roll E by the rotation of the rollers the outer edge of the lap of the cloth will be presented in a backward direction relatively to the rotation of the roll E, which will be understood by reference to the several figures of the drawings and the arrows shown thereon to indicate the directions of rotation. The effect of this will be that in passing from a slower to a faster roller there will be a tendency to loosen the cloth, and in passing from a faster to a slower roller a tendency to tighten it. This alternate tightening and loosening is found in practice to keep the roll E from compacting so much or so rapidly, as is the case when the rollers all have uniform surface velocities, and the result is a much better working of the felt and a more rapid felting action.

The rollers A A (shown in Fig. 5 to illustrate the second feature of my invention) have smooth surfaces, and have a longitudinal profile of a regular concave form. The cavity h, produced between three or more of these rollers for the reception of the roll E of hatbodies or other articles to be felted, is shown to be largest at the middle of the length of the rollers and to taper toward its ends. These rollers may be modified by making their profiles with a straight taper from the ends to- Ward the middle of their length, or with a portion of the length at and near the middle cylindrical and increasing in size toward the ends.

The rollers A A (shown in Fig. 6) are like those shown in Fig. 5, except that they are constructed or provided with longitudinal ribs or lags y'j of a profile form corresponding, or nearly so, with that of the bodies of the rollers themselves.

In the modification shown in Fig. 8, instead of longitudinal ribs on the rollers, there are represented a series of studs or bosses, k k,

which may be produced by driving pegs into holes provided for them in the bodies of the rollers, which may be of wood or other suitable material.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the bodies of the rollers are cylindrical, and there are provided thereon lags or ribs j j, the outer edges or profiles of which are wedge-shaped or of a straight taper form.

In Fig. 9 the ribs or lags jj are shown as in sections of a length less than the whole length of the roller, and set with middle sections opposite the spaces between the end sections, but in such way that the general longitudinal profile of the roller is concave, as in the other figures.

In Fig. 10 two taper rollers are shown, in place of each single roller, with concave profile, the two, A or A being arranged on one shaft or otherwisewith a corresponding axis, the smaller ends of each two of the said roll ers being arranged together, so as to produce IIO between them, as in the other examples, a cavity, h, which is largest at the middle of its length and tapers toward its ends. In this modification of my invention I should prefer to use eight rollers, placed two on each of four shafts, arranged like the shafts of the four rollers shown in Fig. 2,

The tendency of the concavity of longitudinal profile of the rollers, and the consequent form of the cavity it between them, (larger at the middle and taper toward the ends,) is to gather in the roll E lengthwise, or prevent its longitudinal extension, and thereby to obtain a more effective and rapid shrinking or sizing.

Both features of my invention admit of the use of an ordinary sizing-cloth with smooth surface, or of the sizing-cloth with an irregular surface, which is the subject-matter of a United States Patent No. 227 ,331, granted to me, and dated May 4, 1880.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a sizing-machine for felting hatbodies and other articles, a series of three or more rollers having their axes parallel, or nearly parallel, with each other, and adapted to re ceive lengthwise between them a roll of hatbodies or other articles, and having difierent surface velocities, substantially as herein described, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a sizing-machine for feltinghat-bodies and other articles, a series of three or more rollers having their axes parallel, or nearly so, with each other, and having concave or taper longitudinal profiles, whereby there is formed between the said rollers, for the reception of a roll of hat-bodies or other articles arranged lengthwise of the said rollers, a cavity which is larger at the middle of its length and smaller at the ends, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

JOHN T. WARING.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. BROWN, FREDK. HAYNES. 

